Rulers of the Duel
by AceSage
Summary: The greatest collections of duelists are brought to together by a mysterious duo to decided who the true ruler of the duel is. Join, Yami, Jaden, Yusei, Aki, and plenty other of your favorite duelists as they journey through this tournament in the Duel Dimension. Also, not only do old foes emerge, but could there be more to this than friendly competition?
1. Prologue

**Intro**

**Originally, I wanted to write a story about one of the Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist. I was even thinking about writing the story with the main character being Aki Izayoi. Then it came to me. Why only make it about one of them? Why not make it about all of them! That brings me down to what this story is about. Join, Yami, Jaden, Yusei, Aki, and plenty of your favorite characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! through Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, duel against each other in a tournament hosted by a mysterious character to decide once and for all who the true ruler of the duel is. Also, is there more to this tournament than a friendly competition?**

**Before you begin, here are some important notes:**

**1. I'm sorry if you're a huge fan of Zexal, but this story already had tons of characters so I decided to stop at 5ds.**

**2. No offense to the original Yugi Moto, Bakura, or Marik but their other personas like Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura and Yami Marik will be the main personas for those characters and you'll see why. Also, people like Yami, Marik, Bakura, and Ishizu will all have their millennium items.**

**3. In regards to Turbo/Riding dueling, I haven't decided whether to merge it in the story or not.**

**4. Since all the characters or all going to be using their decks as close to their original as possible, I won't worry about a Ban List.**

**5. In terms of English and Japanese names, the only Japanese name I will use is Aki Izayoi's. By the way, if you're wondering why Aki's name is included next to the protagonists, it's because she will have a vital role to play.**

**6. The duels will start with 4,000 LP, like in the anime.**

**7. Obviously, since there will be such an overload of characters, forgive me if one of your favorites don't always get dialogue. Speaking of characters, the girl named Misaki from the 5Ds Over the Nexus video game will be in this. I liked her character too much not to put her in this.**

**Man... sorry there's so much. It just proves how massive this story is.**

**Now take a deep breath... then enjoy!**

* * *

Prologue

"Where am I? Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?"

"Awake Yami. You're spirit has not passed yet."

Yami Yugi opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness. He looked down at his hands and then put them over his heart to feel if it was still beating.

"How?"

"This was my doing."

In the blink of an eye a figure in black robes appeared in front of Yami. His hoop prevented Yami from seeing his face.

"Who are you? What did you do?"

"I will introduce myself when the time comes. Also, what I did was I stopped your soul from moving on."

The last thing Yami remembered was his loss to Yugi and his last goodbye's to his friends. He thought for sure that if he lost he would finally be able to move on. How could this mysterious person have the power to stop that?

"Why did you stop me?"

"I have need of your dueling skills. Trust me; I'll explain everything to you if you come with me."

The stranger stuck out a hand covered by a black glove and a long staff appeared in his hand. The staff was gold with a silver crescent shape at the top. Yami was reluctant to touch it.

"If it makes you feel better Yami, your friends are all waiting for you in the Duel Dimension."

Yami's eyes widened. It was shocking to hear that his friends were expecting him to come back. Not to mention this weird Duel Dimension he had never heard of. He suspected it could be a trick but then he thought of Yugi and everybody needing his help. His resolve tightened and he grabbed the gold staff.

"Glad to have you on board, Yami."

Yami's millennium puzzle appeared back around his neck and started glowing along with the golden eye on his forehead. He was then blinded by a bright light.

...Sometime in the future...

"Come back here you punk!"

"Oh yeah. I'm totally going to do that." answered Jaden Yuki as he was running from some security guards.

"Why are we doing this again?" asked Yubel.

"Um... because those guards stole that kid's deck we talked to earlier. You saw me tell the boy I would get it back like two minutes ago."

"Oh... right." Yubel yawned than put on a blank expression. "Here's another question. Why are you running when you could just blow them away with our power in an instant?"

Ever since Jaden fused with Yubel, his physical attributes have increased as well as the ability to sense emotions, materialize duel cards, and other sort's abilities.

"Don't you know? As the hero, I have to make it look like I'm going to lose and at the last-minute I turn the tables and win."

"Whatever."

Jaden ran down an alley only to have his route blocked by a tall fence. The guards quickly scrambled to trap him. They all started smiling as they thought their prey was trapped like a fish in a net.

"Where are you going to run off now boy?"

Jaden smiled as he crouched, jumped over the fence, and landed on the other side perfectly. He struggled not to laugh as he watched the guards shocked faces on the other side.

"By the way, you shouldn't mess with other people's decks. Catch ya later."

Jaden activated the Trap Hole card on his duel disk and watched as the guards fell in a large hole that had instantly appeared at their feet. Once Jaden was done, he headed to the other side of town where he told the kid to wait until his deck was retrieved. He found him sitting on the water fountain in the middle of the town square.

"Yo kid!"

"Huh? Hey, it's you." The boy eyes widened as Jaden showed him his deck. "I-Is that my deck? How did you get it back?"

"Uh... compromise. Now are you going to take it or not?" The kid grabbed the deck and began thanking Jaden.

"How can I repay you?"

"Hmm... how about once you become a good duelist, you let me challenge to a duel?"

"Of course! I promise!" The boy started to run off but he turned around to Jaden again. "What's your name?"

"The name's Jaden Yuki!" he answered while sticking out his two fingers for his signature pose. The boy ran off leaving Jaden alone in the square with nothing but the sound of the fountain.

"What are you? Some sort of superhero? asked Yubel.

"Maybe." All I need is a cape and-"

"Jaden." said Yubel cutting him off.

"What?"

"Turn around."

Jaden turned to see a figure in a black robe with his face covered by a hood.

"It's about time you two noticed me."

"Wait... you can see Yubel?"

"Of course I can."

"How did he get so close without us knowing?" asked Yubel. "Even now, I can't sense anything from him at all."

"It's if he's not even there..." said Jaden.

Similar to the time with Yami, the figure materialized the golden staff in his hand and started speaking.

"Jaden Yuki. If you want to know who I am, grab this staff and come with me to the Duel Dimension."

'Duel Dimension?' thought Yubel.

"Sorry buddy, but I have a thing with trusting mysterious figures that appear out of nowhere."

"I mean you no harm. What if I told you there was somewhere I could take you where there are plenty of talented duelists. Even your two friends from your time travel trip will be there."

Jaden curiosity rose. He wondered how he could know about that. Plus, if there was one way to lower Jaden's guard, it was the promise of a good duel. Not to mention Jaden wanted his rematch with Yugi and a duel with Yusei. Jaden looked at Yubel for her opinion.

"I don't know about this Jaden. I can't guess what his intentions are at all." Jaden smiled. "However, I'm guessing that's still not going to stop you, right?"

"You bet! If this guy is for real, I can't let a chance like this pass."

"I should also mention that Banner and Pharaoh can't come along."

'How does he know about them too? They didn't even appear yet.' thought Jaden. 'Just who is this guy?'

Jaden knew that the cat and his former dorm master would be fine until he returned. Plus, his suspicions kept rising by the second. He nodded and went over to grab the staff.

"Welcome to the Duel Dimension Jaden Yuki."

Jaden eyes started glowing the bichromate scheme it does when he taps in to the Supreme King's power. The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by a bright light.

Sometime in the future in New Domino City...

Yusei Fudo was doing his daily routine of checking on his duel runner. When he's not busy with research for his job, he usually just customized his runner. After he was done he started preparing to take a cruise on the highway. He decided to ride through the city first.

Once Yusei got in the city he saw a sight that caught his attention. It all happened in a second. Yusei saw a little girl walking across the street, an incoming truck, and a mother screaming and trying to run to get him. On pure instinct, Yusei darted towards the boy on his runner to save him. He scooped up the boy and made it to the other side of the street a split second before the truck passed. Yusei put the girl down and watched as her crying mother started hugging her.

"What were you thinking? If this young man hadn't come-" The mother started crying again.

"I'm sorry..." The little girl looked down and then looked at Yusei. "Thanks mister."

"Yes, thank you." said the mother. "What's your name?"

Yusei took off his helmet and the girl and mothers eyes widened. These days everybody knew who Yusei was. He did save the city from getting totally destroyed by the Ark Cradle after all. Yusei was practically a legend in New Domino City these days.

"Yusei Fudo." replied Yusei.

"Mommy, it's mister Yusei!" The girl attitude immediately turned from being sad to excited.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Fudo. I didn't recognize you with the helmet on. Your duel runner looks different too."

"That's fine. Also, you can just call me Yusei."

"Hey, where's the rest of your team Yusei?" asked the girl. Yusei felt a slight pang in his stomach at the thought of his friends.

"They uh... went away for a while."

"Don't you get lonely by yourself?"

"That's enough dear. Yusei is a busy man and must be on his way. Thank you again Yusei."

The duo left and Yusei resumed his cruise through the city. He began to reminisce about all the things he and his friends went through. He thought about how they banded together to stop the Dark Signers or how they won the WRGP as Team 5Ds. Yusei doesn't regret staying in the city but he sometimes wished that everybody could have stayed too. He was still thinking while he was cruising on the empty highway. He suddenly slammed on the brakes and tried to turn to his side as he spotted someone in the middle of the road that suddenly appeared. It was a figure dressed in black.

"I see you're as alert as ever Yusei."

"Who are you?"

"You'll find out if you come with me." Just like the earlier times, he materialized the staff in his hand. "Just grab the staff."

Growing up in the satellite taught Yusei many lessons. One of them was not trusting people who appear out of nowhere concealed in robes in the middle of the day.

"Why would I do that?"

"You were just wishing to see your old team right? They will all be there."

"What the heck is a Duel Dimension and why are my friends there?" How could he know he was thinking about his friends?

"I assure you Yusei. If you come with me all your questions and more will be answered. However, I will tell you that the greatest dueling experience of your life awaits you."

Yusei gave it some serious thought. If he declined, this guy could hurt his friends or do something to the city. He concluded that he had nothing to lose and to see what this Dueling Dimension is.

"Fine."

"Wonderful. However, your runner will be stored until you come back."

Yusei walked over and grabbed the staff slowly. The next thing he knew, he felt a familiar sensation on his arm. The head of the crimson dragon had appeared on his arm once again. Yusei never expected this power to return.

"It will be over in a few seconds Yusei Fudo."

There was a bright light and Yusei felt his consciousness slip away.

...In the same time period at a medical school...

Aki Izayoi looked at the papers in front of her. Whenever she finished a long class, this seems to relax her. She was sitting at a park while she was staring at a beautifully clear sky. Aki's thoughts were interrupted when one of her classmates sat next to her.

"Is something wrong Elle?"

"Oh it's nothing Aki. I just wanted to congratulate you on your paper. It got a perfect score right?"

"Oh thanks." Aki enjoyed complements.

"How can you do it? I can barely stay awake let alone ace a paper. Pathetic huh..."

"Of course not. I struggled when I started too. The thing that kept me going was my friend Yusei's words to me. When I think of that, I feel like I can do anything."

"Yusei..." Elle put a finger on her chin and then smiled. "Isn't that the guy that promised to marry you or something when your dreams came true?" Aki naturally started blushing pretty hard.

"Of course not! I told you we're just friends!"

"Yeah... sure." Elle said winking. "Anyway, I probably should go study. Later Aki."

Once she left Aki started thinking about Yusei and the rest of her friends. She began thinking about how she was before and how she is now. Her transformation from the Black Rose Witch to the true Aki had all been thanks to her friends, specifically Yusei. Every day she thought about that last moment with Yusei and if she made a mistake not staying in the city and telling him her feelings. If it wasn't for him she probably would have stayed loyal to Sayer and would have probably been fully consumed into her powerful psychic powers.

"I wonder what he would have said."

"People might think you're crazy if you talk to yourself." said a mysterious voice.

On instinct, Aki popped out of her seat and looked behind her. She saw a figure in black leaning against a tree.

"Who are you?"

"A friend Aki Izayoi." This time he wasted no time materializing the staff. "If you grab this staff, you can truly test your powers as a duelist."

"I not a duelist anymore. I'm studying to be a doctor."

"You wouldn't come even if Yusei and your friends are there? You wanted to talk to Yusei right?"

'I didn't say that out loud...' thought Aki. 'I wonder who this guy could be. This could be a trap, but I may have no choice but to agree.' Aki cleared her throat. "Where are we going?"

"The Duel Dimension."

"What's that?"

"Come along and you'll see."

Aki was getting impatient with this guy being so vague but her curiosity was too high at this point. She threw caution to the wind and went to grab the staff. The moment she touched it she felt a sensation on her arm, which was her claw mark of the crimson dragon. Not only that, but Aki felt a sensation deep in her that she felt when her psychic powers were active.

"Last but not least, welcome Aki Izayoi."

There was a bright light before Aki blacked out.

...In a secret room in the Duel Dimension...

"This is going better than I could have ever hoped."

A woman with long black hair with blonde streaks in it was ecstatic with the news she was given. She had gray eyes and cerulean and white hakama outfit. If somebody saw her they would assume she was in her early twenties. She had looks similar to a Japanese princess.

After, the man in black she sent to retrieve the duelist came back and said it was a success, she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright then. They should be waking up soon. Go greet our guests."

"As you wish."

As the man in black departed, the lady cracked a devious smile.

"Let the games begin."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**1. That it for the prologue people. The true first chapter will be up soon.**

**2. If you have a suggestion, prediction, comment, or you just like reviewing, feel free!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is the true first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, TV Tokyo, Konami and 4kids, please show support for the official material.**

* * *

Chapter 1: This Little Thing of Ours

The first thing everyone noticed was the bright lights radiating from the ceiling. It turned out that everyone was in some sort of ballroom that was crowded with tables and chairs. Upon further inspection, there were tons of different people with duel disks on their arms looking around in confusion.

"Please, all of you quiet down." said Horus walking into the room, facing all the confused duelists.

"It's you..." said Yusei.

"You're the one that brought us all here, correct?" asked Yami.

"That's right. Before I go any further... I will reveal what I look like."

Horus ripped of his black robe to show a guy that looked about Yusei's age. He had long spiky black hair and two different colored eyes. His left eye glowed silver like the moon and his right eye glowed orange like the sun. He had expensive looking gold and black garbs on and he was holding the golden staff with the crescent at the top.

"My name is Horus and I have brought you all to the Duel Dimension as promised."

Everyone began murmuring to themselves in suspicion of the weird-looking guy. It wasn't long before everyone realized that there were duelists from different generations in the room. Jaden was the first to speak up.

"Why did you bring so many of us?"

"That has to deal with why all of you are here. You see... the Duel Dimension has millions of spirits whose souls have been trapped in a limbo. In fact, if it wasn't for this stadium I crafted, you would see a barren wasteland full of human and monster spirits roaming around aimlessly. However, upon study, I discovered something that they react to... dueling."

"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard," said Kaiba. "You mean to tell me that you brought us all here to duel so that we can be exorcists or something."

"I wouldn't use the term exorcist but you seem to get the general picture. The reason I made this stadium in the first place was to have all you duel in it."

Horus pointed his staff at a giant television on the wall that nobody noticed for some reason and a picture of a humongous stadium was shown. The main dueling field was in the middle along with hundreds of rows of empty seats.

"That's where you will all be dueling. When the duels begin, every seat will be filled with the spirits of this dimension. While a duel is going on, the rest of you can either watch from in here or back in you rooms. It's your choice."

"We get rooms too?" said Jaden. "Sweet, it's like Duel Academy all over again."

"Wait a second," interrupted Aki. "Say we duel, then what? What's going to happen?"

Horus pulled out a transparent orb the size of a baseball and held it up for everybody to see.

"After every duel, this orb will fill with a clear liquid. My goal is to get it to the top. When that happens, the Duel Dimension will be cleansed and everything will be as it was."

"How could you possible know that?" asked Joey Wheeler. "How do we know you're not just puling or legs here?"

"It may sound weird but... this staff tells me so." Horus held up the staff to his head and closed his eyes. "I found this when I was exploring the Duel Dimension and ever since it's been giving me instructions. It also has given me the power to travel across time and dimension so I could reach out to all of you."

"Okay then..." started Zane. "Why do you care what happens to this place. You said it was nothing but a barren wasteland right?"

"That brings me down to the most important matter. If the spirits continue to wander into this dimension, after a while the Duel Dimension will start to clash with the regular dimension, destroying them both."

Gasps and shock was heard through the entire room. The news of impending doom caught everyone's attention.

"That's a joke right!?" exclaimed Jack. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid I'm not. The staff has shown me it. Believe me, if things continue like they are, it means the end of humanity itself."

"It can't be..." said a shocked Tea.

"How could this happen?" added Alexis.

Everyone was silent. The new knowledge of impending doom was too much for some to bear. Even for Yami, Jaden, and Yusei, this was shocking news. They never had to deal with a situation where if they failed, everything as they know it would cease to exist.

"Wait a second..." started Yusei. "If this place has only spirits and you found that staff after you arrived here... how did you get here."

Horus smiled and then answered. "That is simple. I was born here."

"What?"

"I know that's not the answer you were expecting but that's the truth. I couldn't tell you when I was born or who gave birth to me. I don't even know what I am. While I'm not a god, I'm also not human..."

"Man, this just keeps getting weirder." said Cyrus.

"I've got a question then..." started Yami. "Actually I have two. The first is why can't I switch back with Yugi and the second is why are they here?" Yami pointed to Yami Marik in one corner and Yami Bakura in the other.

"It's about time you noticed Pharaoh." said Marik clutching his millennium rod. Bakura simply smiled and continued to lean against the wall.

"I understand all of you are not on the best of terms, but no one will be harmed here. The powers of the shadows will have no effect here because this staff overpowers even the Millennium Items. Also, it was imperative that you all be brought back in your prime. Powers such as the Millennium Items and the Crimson Dragon has been restored. I even took the liberty of restoring the clothes you all dueled in."

After people inspected closer, they indeed where in the clothes they dueled in instead of the street clothes they were wearing.

"Besides Yami, you'll still be able to communicate with Yugi Moto. You just won't be able to switch back until you leave."

"What about my brother?" said Ishizu. "If the other Marik is in control, the means my brother's mind is in torment."

"Fear not Ishizu. Marik's soul is simply dormant now and will return to normal after leaving."

Ishizu reluctantly nodded in acceptance before she gave Yami Marik a glare. He teasingly winked back. After that, Aki started thinking about what he said earlier about restoring everyone's powers. She looked at her fellow signers to see if they all had their marks, Surely enough, she saw the glowing mark of the Crimson Dragon back on Yusei, Jack, Crow, Leo, Luna, and herself. However, she widened her eyes as she felt something else.

"Wait a second..." started Aki. "You restored my psychic powers didn't you?"

"That's not a problem is it?"

"No... It's just that I didn't want that "other" side of me to return either."

"You have full control over your psychic powers right? You'll be fine."

Aki nodded but she still felt uneasy. She was comforted when Yusei and all of her other friends came over to where she was.

"Now if there are no more questions at the moment, I'll explain a few more things. Once duels are finished, the winner I'll move on the next round while the loser gets sent back to their own time as if nothing happened. There will be a series of one on one duel until one person is left. The staff told me that after that, the orb will have enough energy." Horus stopped for a moment and then smiled. "Also, if being the best duelist to live in addition to being the hero of the universe wasn't enough, the winner will get one wish of their choosing."

There was dead silence after that last sentence was spoken. Already, everyone began pondering on what they wanted the most. The motivation to win this tournament just skyrocketed for everyone. Suddenly, the fear and doubt that was in everyone's mind began to fade.

"I see you guys approve of that. Next up is the matter of your decks. I've put the top cards from the decks you had when you were dueling in your rooms. See fit to make your decks from those. The only cards that won't be used are these."

Horus held up the three Egyptian Gods and Sacred Beasts. "These cards will stay with me for now."

"Normal rules will apply like the 4,000 LP start and the deck out rule. The duels will start in a day from now so that you all can rest and strategize. As for your rooms..."

Once again, Horus pointed his staff at the giant flat screen on the wall and four rows of names appeared. Then, three doors on the right side of the room opened up and one door on the left side opened.

"The men will be split into three groups based on what time period you came from. Since there's plenty of you, you're section is split into three groups while the women can fit in a single section. You'll find that the rooms are spacious and private. There are multiple bathrooms and showers so that there's no crowding. Your wardrobes will contain the necessary clothes for sleeping, plus fresh copies of the clothes you have on now."

Horus pointed the staff at the television and a clock appeared at the bottom.

"When that clock hits zero, the duels will begin. If you're not out here when you're called, you will be disqualified. The duels are random, so you won't know who your opponent is until it's time. Lastly, you all may stay here and talk before heading to your rooms if you wish. If there's nothing else, I'll see you all in about a day. Good luck to every duelist here."

As Horus began to walk away, Jaden spoke up.

"Hold up a second bro!" exclaimed Jaden. "What about food!"

Without stopping or turning around, Horus held up the staff and every table in the room began to glow. An instant later, hundreds of delicacies appeared on the tables. Jaden felt as if he was in heaven at the sight of all the delicious fresh looking foods.

"I've decided that my wish is going the be." said Jaden eating multiple burgers at once. "I'm getting that staff!" Yubel sighed at Jaden and his pit of a stomach.

Everyone either went to their rooms, or stayed and looked for familiar faces. After, Yami, Jaden, and Yusei got done talking to their friends they regrouped at the center of the room. Since they already knew each other, there was no need for introduction. Yusei began speaking while Yami was listening and Jaden was still eating.

"We sure have landed ourselves in a bad situation this time."

"No kidding." said Jaden.

"I still can't believe this is all happening." started Yami. "One minute I see nothing but oblivion and the next I'm back in a situation where dueling is the only way to set things right."

"Oh come on guys!" said Jaden. "This is exciting if you ask me. We finally get to see which one of us is better. Not to mention the saving the universe thing. I can't wait to see who I duel first."

"Excuse me and Yugi for not sharing your excitement Jaden, but this whole situation is strange."

"I agree. There simply too many questions left unanswered. I have a feeling Horus is hiding something from us."

"Unfortunately, all we can do now is play along his game and hope things become clearer. That staff of his still bothers me thought. It not only had the power to travel across time, but he also restored my signer mark somehow."

"Well do you guys want to go find him and ask more questions?" asked Jaden. "I'll come."

"No," started Yami. "until we know what we're dealing with, let's play along for now. Hopefully, that doesn't prove too much trouble."

"All we have to do, is do what we have always done," started Jaden. "Win."

"Right." said Yusei.

...In Aki's Room...

Meanwhile, Aki went back to her room after the intermission in the main room. She was sitting on her bed staring at her cards trying to decide what combinations she should use.

'The fact that we won't know who we're facing makes this hard.' thought Aki.

While she was picking through the card she came across her favorite one, the Black Rose Dragon. She smiled when she saw the card that symbolized the bond with her and her teammates. She picked it up and held it for a minute. Suddenly, Aki felt a pinch in the back of her mind. She grabbed her head and it quickly went away.

'What was that? I've felt this way ever since I got here. It's like something's trying to come out of my head or something.' Aki then abruptly remembered something or rather someone. She thought about her former master and leader Sayer. She began to wonder if he was here too. She didn't see him but for some reason she felt more uneasy than usual when she thought about him.

'It's impossible. I watched him get killed by Misty's monster. Besides, I don't think I saw him. There were a lot of people I didn't get a look at though...'

In frustration she shook her head and suppressed the thought as she went back to looking through her cards.

...In Marik's Room...

Marik smiled widely as he looked into the mirror. He was actually back and he even has the millennium rod back. If one thing was certain it's that he was going to win this so that he could keep control forever. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an all too familiar presence at the door he left open.

"You shouldn't be here Ishizu. This section is form men only."

"What are you planning Marik?"

"Me? I'm not planning anything. I just want to have a friendly tournament is all."

"Don't lie to me. You've got something up your sleeve. I just haven't figured out what yet."

"Why don't you use that necklace of yours sister or do you not trust it anymore?"

Ishizu put her fingers on the necklace. It's true that the predictions this necklace have made had been incorrect before but it has also been correct about other things. In all honesty, Ishizu thought she would never have the chance to use it again.

"I don't care if I win this tournament or not Marik. However, if you can count on one thing, it's that I'm not going to let my brother fall prey to your twisted psyche for a second time."

"Scary. Now if you mind, I have to make my deck. Make sure you tell that fool Odion the same thing if you don't mind."

Ishizu left and Marik started thinking about how he's going to form his deck without Ra.

'Not having Ra is a setback but that won't stop me. Just wait Pharaoh...'

...In Yami's Room...

"Are you sure you're okay with this Yugi?"

"It's fine Yami. If it means helping everyone, you can have dominance as long as we're here."

Ever since Yami got to the Duel Dimension, he has felt uneasy. After his duel with Yugi, Yami had fully accepted his own death. The last thing he expected was to be thrown into another situation where dueling was the key to saving everyone. Only this time, if things didn't go right everyone would suffer.

"I've never seen you so uneasy."

"It's just that if we don't win this time, the consequences are going to be worse than ever. Not to mention I'm worried about Marik and Bakura pulling something and don't forget that the Egyptian Gods are no longer in our possession."

"If they try anything, well beat them like we always have. Plus, we've managed to beat some of the toughest people without the aid of the Egyptian Gods. We just need to believe in the heart of the cards and we'll be fine."

Yami looked at the cards on his bed. He picked the Dark magician and Dark Magician Girl up and looked at them. Suddenly all the strategies and tactics he used through his life starting flying in his head. In order to win this tournament, he would need to go all out. Even if that meant trying his best against his friends. Whether the universe was at stake or not, Yami never liked losing a duel.

"If that's true, then why do I feel like the heart of the cards won't be enough this time..."

...In Jaden's Room...

"Now I'll just put this card here and I'm done."

Jaden put his hands behind his head as he fell on his pillow. In just one hour he managed to configure his deck to his liking.

"Are you sure you didn't do that a little too fast?" asked Yubel.

"Don't worry. This is how I've always done it. Worrying too much about everything will only make your deck sloppy. It's best just to make it in a way that you're comfortable with."

"If you say so. Just remember that your opponents won't be pushovers. Don't mistake these people for students at Duel Academy. I can sense great strength all around me even in here."

"Well this isn't the first time the odds were against me. Even if my chances are slim, I can't help but get excited at the thought of dueling strong people. I just hope I get to duel Yugi and Yusei before this is over."

"As usual, all you can think about is dueling. Let's just get this done as quick as possible. This dimension is disgusting."

...In Yusei's Room...

"Looks like were in deep this time guys." said Crow.

"This makes the WRPG look like a warm up." said Jack. "What do you think about all of this Yusei?"

"It's feels like the Ark Cradle all over again. Only this time instead of a city being destroyed, it's the entire universe. Not to mention we may end of dueling against each other."

"Don't worry Yusei and Crow. I promise not to show off if I win."

"Sure Jack," said Crow. "By the way, has anyone seen Leo or Luna around?"

"They're fine," confirmed Yusei. "The twins are on board with this all. So is Aki."

"Well then, it looks like we're finally going to see who's best, right Yuesi?"

"I don't care who wins as long as we can save everyone."

"Oh come on Yusei," said Crow. "You can't tell me you're not looking forward to this. Plus, don't forget the wish."

"Yeah, the stakes and the perks are higher than ever before. Still... something just doesn't feel right."

...In the secret room...

"It's done my lady. Everyone has agreed to duel."

"I figure as much. Anybody give you any trouble Horus?"

"They were skeptical at first but that's only natural. We won't know who really is on board until it actually starts."

"I can barely contain my excitement. I always did enjoy a good duel."

"Is there anything else you need my lady?"

"No, you've done a fine job Horus. Standby, until the duels start."

"What will you do in the mean time?"

"When the time is right, I'll show myself to them. However, in the meantime... I'll just relax and let things unfold a bit."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**1. Well there goes the first chapter! The duels will finally start next chapter.**

**2. If you have a suggestion, prediction, comment, or you just like reviewing, feel free!**


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